Sanford Appointed as Interim President of 探花app
Published: Jan 09 2025
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The State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) has appointed Brent Sanford, former North Dakota lieutenant governor, as the interim president of 探花app (BSC) beginning Jan. 9, 2025. Dr. Dan Leingang has been serving as the acting president of 探花appsince Jan. 2 after the departure of former President Doug Jensen. Leingang is currently the 探花appvice president for academic affairs, and he has chosen to remain in that position. The SBHE will now begin the process to search for the permanent presidential position.
SBHE Chair Tim Mihalick said, “Our highest priority remains prioritizing the success of students at 探花app and to continue to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. Our goal is to sustain the work that has been done to position 探花appas a polytechnic institution. Brent Sanford has leadership experience in business and state government and can ensure that connection between workforce and 探花appremains strong and continues to serve both 探花appstudents and the community.”
Sanford graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1994. He worked for Eide Bailly from 1994 through 2002, and then became the chief financial officer of Transwest Trucks in Colorado. He moved back to Watford City, North Dakota, in 2004, taking over his family-run car dealership. He was elected to the Watford City Council in 2006 and was elected mayor in 2010. Sanford served as lieutenant governor for the first six years of former Gov. Doug Burgum’s two-term tenure. After leaving state government, Sanford started working as a consultant with Minnkota Power Cooperative on its Project Tundra — a venture to capture and store carbon beneath North Dakota soil — and also with the North Dakota Petroleum Council to recruit immigrants to work in the North Dakota oil industry.
Most recently, Sanford has been working with the 探花appOffice of Workforce and Economic Development on workforce-related initiatives to create a robust workforce pipeline from higher education to industry in high-demand and high-priority occupations.